Wedding at The Leaf + Qualico Centre | Arianna + Curtis
Wedding Sneak Peek
February 18th, 2023 was a day I was looking forward to for so long! Especially since meeting Arianna and Curtis for their engagement session back in November. They’re such a sweet couple that bring a fun energy with them. They think of others first and it made my job way too easy.
We went to Birds Hill Park for their engagement photos hoping for some cute fall photos. The morning of the shoot the skies were mostly clear. That was up until an hour before the photo shoot it decided to flurry the hardest I’ve ever seen. By the time we were ready to start taking photos the ground was already covered in a thin layer of snow. Although the conditions weren’t exactly what we wanted we still left with some of the most stunning photos ever. Arianna and Curtis knocked it out of the park.
Wedding Day
I always get so excited on a wedding day morning. It’s like the feeling right before a big sports game. That’s why I call it game day. Anyway it’s not about me. We got the church where the ceremony was going to be held and the Ceremony set up was stunning. There’s been some church weddings that could have used some Pinterest aesthetics but I was so very happy about this one! On the stage they had a big cross with a curtain strung up behind it.
Both me and my second shooter Sarah started off by taking some candids of the guests that arrived early. Before long we started the ceremony. The ceremony was really sweet, it’s always nice when the officiant doesn’t use the same script but can make the speech personalized. After the ceremony we gave everyone plenty of time to catch up and chat before starting family photos. We ended up getting ahead of schedule (This never happens) So we all had some extra time to chill before heading to Red River College for some photos.
At Red River College we spent some time taking Bridal Party photos and Couple photos. With this slow schedule it was nice not to feel rushed with the photos. We found some chairs we were able to do some cute sitting poses. Can’t wait to show you those. Much of RRC has an industrial feel to it so we tried to go along with that theme and a mix of some moody/vibey photos as well as some happy and bright wedding photos. Knowing that The Leaf was next on the list we had to save some poses for that.
The Leaf is possibly one of my favourite places to shoot in Winter. Not only because I hate taking photos in the cold but also because the Leaf is stunning! The light comes in so perfectly. I was concerned with how hard it would be to take group photos at the Leaf. I didn’t want to ruin the experience for anyone else just visiting and I had to find someone to fit everyone. I also didn’t want to make everyone stay in the hot humid area too long.
We took some immediate family photos and then some bridal party photos and ended with some couple photos before moving to the less humid area. An obvious pick for me was the vine wall. If you’ve been to the Leaf you know what I’m talking about and if you haven’t been there then I strongly recommend it! It is a big enough area that we could fit the bridal party and it’s a beautiful background. I think they turned out great and the bridal party + Arianna and Curtis did so well. I always appreciate people trying to make my job easier and still having a good time.
We then headed to the Qualico Centre for the reception. While we were walking in it again was dumping snow (Kind of fitting) We took some cute photos under a street lamp. After we went inside I let them have time chatting with everyone and resorted to candid’s at this point. It’s always so nice to see a couple surrounded by such a great community that’s there to help them celebrate. This was very evident with the heartfelt speeches. Got to chat with so many awesome people at the wedding! Overall it was an amazing day and I’m so so happy for these two. Days like this make it so fun to do what I do. It’s a blessing really.
Arianna and Curtis I wish you two all the best with this new chapter! I’m so excited to get you more photos. Thank you for being amazing clients and friends 🙂
